Two singers, Jessi Rae Waltz and Carrie Welling, who are an unlikely pair, one from Nashville and another from Colorado Springs, both ended up in New York City a few years ago and invented something called "cosmo country," which is what they call their music, since they're based in Manhattan and not Music City.

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Produced inventively by Chris Cubeta, with hot New York players like Josh Dion and Doug Yowell, "Take Two" is a clever twist on a style of music that is, well, prone to playing it safe.

"It's a bird. It's a plane." Yes, this country album starts out with the guitar-centric "Superman," as they sing "I need a man who can fly with me, make me his Lois Lane" with verve and conviction - more classic rock than country (juxtaposed by an amazingly dreamy bridge). But that's what country is these days, anyway. The driving "Hard Way" volleys back to pure country with it's acoustic guitar and fiddles. Here, soaring harmonies tell of the pain of learning and growing, admitting, "I took the long way around."

The sentimental "Till I'm Me" is a highlight, with its understated, plaintive, powerful vocals and almost spiritual lyrics, like "Towards the light, reaching desperately, I won't be back till I'm me." Soon the delicate, yet emotional "The Bottle" builds as exquisite harmonies float over slinky steel-guitar lines, while "No Regrets" has swirling guitars and a distant loop, and is has a sultry empowering, leave-it-all-behind theme.

It all comes together in the moving "When I Was With You," where the heartbreak and loss are almost palpable. Here, they touch upon something everyone has felt, and shows the best thing a song can do: Mark a time and place and feeling. With this, they sing more than tag-team leads and harmonies. Instead, their voices weave together in an extraordinary call and response manner, upping the emotion and intensity to this powerful song.

It's easy to be dazzled by Waltz and Welling's gorgeous voices, but the fine songwriting and lyrics deserve equal attention and accolades. The energy and attitude of the Big Apple is all over this fresh new music, combining the timeless traditions of Nashville with the force and intent of the greatest city in the world.